Apparatus for playing miniature golf

ABSTRACT

An extendable boom, that can swing in a horizontal plane, universally mounts a suspended golf club and related gun, so that the club and gun unit can swing in any direction. The club is actuated by the trigger of the gun and is adapted to drive golf balls to the gun&#39;&#39;s point of aim.

United States Patent Henry E. Lippert 130 S.W. Twelfth 51., Miami. Fla. 33130 846.458

July 31, 1%9

Aug. 10, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 273/126,

273/872 lnt.Cl A63b 7.1/00 Field of Search 273/129,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,793,037 5/1957 Smith 273/872 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown ABSTRACT: An extendable boom, that can swing in a horizontal plane, universally mounts a suspended golf club and related gun, so that the club and gun unit can swing in any direction. The club is actuated by the trigger of the gun and is adapted to drive golf balls to the guns point of aim.

PATENTED AUG] 0 IE?! INVENTOR.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF This invention relates to a device for driving golf balls, for use in a game of miniature golf.

Early games of this type usually comprised a club and gun that were pivotally mounted so that each could swing in the same vertical plane, and in no other direction. The club and gun were each carried by a stand or pedestal of some sort, and the ball-driving unit was very easy and simple to use.

Later, a feature was added to such apparatus, that made the game somewhat more difficult to play. The club and gun not only could swing in the same vertical plane, but also rotate about a vertical axis. The game then became a bit more interesting.

The present ball driving device, shown and described herein, is designed so that a great deal of skill is required to attain perfection with its use. In this driving unit, the club and gun can swing in a vertical plane and in any direction about a normally fixed point. They can move through a horizontal plane, and they can move on a horizontal axis, away from or nearer to a supporting stand from which they are spaced. The gun-club unit of the present driving device is thus floatably mounted. The only direction the gun-club unit cannot move, is on a vertical axis. The almost completely flexible construction .Of the apparatus, makes the present miniature golf game more difficult to master, and truly a game of skill.

The ball-driving units, in the sequence outlined above, go

. from the simplest type to the more skillful type. The apparatus mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and which is the subject matter of this invention, is a challenge to those who like this kind of game. The game can be intriguing, because it is not easyto become highly proficient at playing it.

It should be understood that a ball-driving device of this type, is used in conjunction with a ball-receiving member. Such ball-receiving members can take any one of several forms, the most common being an inclined smooth surface having an aperture simulating a hole of a golf course. The ball receiving member forms no part of this invention, and for that reason it has not been shown on the drawing, nor described in the specification.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part hereof:

HO. 1 is a front elevational view of the invention, with parts broken away, and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the invention, also with parts broken away.

The numeral designates the supporting base for the entire apparatus. The base 10 and a vertical projection 11 thereon, are adapted to receive a vertically disposed shaft 12. The shaft 12 is freely rotatable in the base 10 and projection 11. Fixed to the upper end of shaft 12 is an elongated bearing 13, disposed directly above the base 10. A horizontally disposed boom or shaft 14 is slidably mounted in the bearing 13, and projects beyond the ends of the bearing. Shaft 14 is also freely rotatable in the bearing 13. Base 10 is made of sufficient weight to function as a counterbalance for the balldriving unit.

Fixed to the right-hand end of shaft 14 is the half portion 15 of a ball joint clamp. The other half of the clamp is shown at 16, in H6. 1. In FIG. 2, a part of the clamp has been removed for clarity. The numerals 17 indicate bolt holes, by which the two halves of the ball joint clamp are fastened. The innerspherical surface of the ball joint clamp contacts the ball member 18, and of course, the clamp supports the ball member, and other structure carried by the ball member, and other structure carried by the ball member. The ball member 18 projects slightly above and below the balljoint clamp.

Extending upwardly from, and fixed to the ball member 18, is a pair of spaced prongs 19. An imitation gun 20 is pivoted at 21 to the upper ends of prongs l8, and is disposed in the space between the prongs.

By the expression imitation gun," the intended meaning is that the object looks like a gun and has a handle and a trigger.

The gun 20 comprises mainly a body portion 22, a barrel 23, a handle 24, a trigger 25 and a recess 26 in the body of the gun.

A club 27 is pivoted at 28 to the lower ends of prongs l9, and is disposed in the same vertical plane as the gun 20. The club extends upwardly from pivot 28, and terminates at its upper end within the gun recess 26. It extends downwardly from pivot 28, through a hole in the ball member 18, and terminates at its lower end with a head 29, spaced a short distance above a floor 30. The club 27 is bent at 31, in the vicinity of the ball joint, so that the lower end of the club, and the club head 20, is normally positioned rearward of the ball joint and rearward of pivot 28. I

The gun trigger 25 is pivoted at 32 to the body of the gun. Linkage 33, within the gun recess 26, is pivoted at 34 to the upper end of the club 27, and is pivoted at 35 to the approximate midpoint of trigger 25. A tension spring 36 is connected at 37 to the top of the club, and at 38 to the body of the gun. This spring normally maintains the club in its prestroke position, and also resets the trigger 25, after the trigger has been actuated.

A manually adjustable setscrew 39, in the body of the gun, limits the rearward stroke of the trigger, and hence, it also limits the forward movement of club head 29. A manually adjustable setscrew 40, in the body of the gun, limits the rearward stroke of the club, and also determines the limit of the forward movement of the trigger. Thus, the reset position of the trigger can remain the same, or be changed slightly, by turning setscrew 40.

To use this driving unit, a ball 41 is placed on the floor, a short distance in front of club head 29. Considering the floatable mounting of the club-gun unit of this device, the ball does not have to be accurately placed, as has been the case with earlier apparatus. Assuming the base 10 to be fixed, or rather, nonmovable on the floor 30, a player of the game takes hold of the handle 24 of the gun. The gun-club unit is free to move transversely, because the horizontal shaft 14 can slide in and out of bearing 13. The player of the game will make. this adjustment, until the center of club head 29 is aligned with the center of the ball. The gun-club unit is free to rotate in a horizontal plane, because the vertical shaft 12 can rotate in the base 10. The player of the game will also make this adjustment until the club head 29 is the desired distance from the ball. The player now puts a finger on the trigger, and gets prepared to pull the same, and at the same time, he aims the gun at a ball receiving member (not shown). The player pulls the trigger and the club will swing forward, by means of linkage 33. The club head 29 will strike the ball and drive the ball in the direction of the point of aim of the gun, provided the club swings through an almost truly vertical plane. The gunclub is universally mounted on the shaft 14, and consequently a delicate touch on the trigger and a steady hand on the gun is needed to keep the club head aligned with the ball, for an accurate drive of the ball, because the gun-club unit can swing in any direction about the center of ball member 18.

lclaim:

1. A ball-driving unit comprising, a stand having a base and a vertically disposed shaft, a horizontal shaft supported at the upper end of said vertical shaft, one end of said horizontal shaft having means mounted thereon for at least limited universal movement relative thereto, a club swingably mounted on said means and extending downwardly therefrom, a simulated gun swingably mounted on said means, said simulated gun having a trigger, and means operatively connecting said trigger to said club so that operation of said trigger will swing said club.

2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said horizontal shaft slidably engages said vertical shaft.

3. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said vertical shaft is rotatably mounted in said base of the stand.

4. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said first named means includes one element ofa ball and socket joint.

5. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said base of the stand is spaced to one side of a vertical plane through said simulated gun and said club.

7. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means for returning said trigger to its prestroke position. 

1. A ball-driving unit comprising, a stand having a base and a vertically disposed shaft, a horizontal shaft supported at the upper end of said vertical shaft, one end Of said horizontal shaft having means mounted thereon for at least limited universal movement relative thereto, a club swingably mounted on said means and extending downwardly therefrom, a simulated gun swingably mounted on said means, said simulated gun having a trigger, and means operatively connecting said trigger to said club so that operation of said trigger will swing said club.
 2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said horizontal shaft slidably engages said vertical shaft.
 3. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said vertical shaft is rotatably mounted in said base of the stand.
 4. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said first named means includes one element of a ball and socket joint.
 5. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein said base of the stand is spaced to one side of a vertical plane through said simulated gun and said club.
 6. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means associated with said simulated gun for limiting the forward stroke of said club.
 7. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means for returning said trigger to its prestroke position. 